Special Needs App of the Day: Sound Sorting

Special Needs App of the Day: Sound Sorting

Build phonemic awareness with Sound Sorting from Lakeshore Learning Materials!

Phonemic awareness is a pre-reading skill, and the term refers to a child’s understanding that words are built from sounds that can be arranged in different ways. When a child acquires phonemic awareness, he realizes that sounds are building blocks for creating words. Sound Sorting teaches phonemic awareness through a matching game that allows children to match words with the same beginning sound. In addition to building phonemic awarness, children become aware of beginning sounds, and they practice matching words by sound.

The user can choose three beginning sounds, or you can randomize the selections. A voice announces a word as you tap on an icon.

On the next screen, the beginning sounds tiles appear at the top, and circles with more icons fall into the “dispenser” area, and again a voice announces the picture as you tap on it. Drag the circle icon to an empty circle underneath one of the three beginning icons you chose.

For example, if you chose a wagon, vase, and turtle on the first screen, you would drag a picture of a walrus to an empty circle underneath the wagon icon. There are three circles to fill in for each beginning sound icon. Incorrect answers are recycled through the dispenser, so the player can try again. The user hears a crowd applauding and cheering when the game is finished.


The Sound Sorting app is designed to meet the following objectives:

  • Build phonemic awareness
  • Identify words by beginning sounds
  • Match words by sound

Many parents who have used the Sound Sorting app with their children say it helps reinforce what their child is learning in school. It is very engaging, and the game atmosphere creates a sense of fun and excitement. All of the pictures are colorful cartoons that are easy to see.

Sound Sorting is ideal for ages 4 and up. It is ideal for children with special needs who need some extra help outside of the classroom with phonemic awareness and beginning sounds, and it helps reinforce what they learn at school. Sound Sorting is available for $0.99. Also be sure to check out Lakeshore Learning Material‘s website for other school and teacher supplies, including more fun learning games.

Photos courtesy of Lakeshore Learning Materials

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